Peas Don't Have to Be Boring. Here's Why

Blanched peas are no longer boring. This simple recipe from Jeremy Fox's 2018 Beard Award–nominated cookbook, On Vegetables: Modern Recipes for the Home Kitchen, would be equally at home on your weeknight dinner table or as part of your elegant supper party spread. A former pea hater himself, Fox was inspired by a dish at the first restaurant he worked at as a recent culinary school grad: "They made a dish of peas with Pecorino that made me realize I actually liked peas," he says. 

Once blanched, the peas are tossed with curly pea tendrils, olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced shallot, and fresh mint. But what makes this seasonal side really special? The chunks of Pecorino Romano added at the end, contrasting the bright, sweet peas with the salty cheese. Make this dish tonight.

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Hilary Deutsch is digital media coordinator at the James Beard Foundation. Find her on Instagram and Twitter.